Meter for liquids and gases.



P. N. comm.

METER FOR LIQUIDS AND GASES.

APPLICATION-FILED SEPT. 23, 1907.

Patented Sept. 21

'IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII avwcnl'oz RedenckNConngfi UNITED sTArrnsrnrENT OFFICE,

FREDERICK 2N. comma, or raownnuen, moon ISLAND. i

mama m Lnoums new cases.

Specification? Letters Datent.

Appl catio .flled Sept b r 23,180 .Seda No. 394,032

' u-ring liquids and gases, and has :for its .ob-

jeet to provide a simple and efiective meter constructed .odz' a plurality of measuring devices of different capacities so arranged that some one of said devices will :be actuated by the flow to accurately measure and show the quantity passing through whereby a great range in the rate .of flow through the pipe will be accurately measured.

A further object ofithe invention iseto provide a single device which will count, indicute or record, to accurately show in gallons, cubic feet or other desired units of measure the amount which passes through the .pipe, to which device all of the measuring devices are connected, whereby the measurer traveling the fastest will be theonly one to actuate the indicator.

fIt is zfound in practice that meters designed for thedelivery of large quantities of water are not sensitive enough and cannot-be depended upon to accurately measure small uantities passing therethrough, andl have t erefore arranged an auxiliary or measuring device of a less capacity to work in conjunction with the larger measuring device, both of said devices being connected to an indicator in such a manner that only one can act upon it at a time.

A further object of the invention is to provide anautomatically actuateddirection controlling valve whereby the flow up to .a predetermlned amount after passing through the large measuring device will be obliged to pass through the smaller one where it is accurately measured, but when the vflow is su-fficient to operate the larger device at a speed necessary to register accurately, then said valve will automatically open and allow the whole .to .pass straight throu h the main without passing around throng .the smaller measures. When the :flow again :falls ofi a predetermined amount this valve will close automatically and send the flow through the small measu-rer again.

ssential feature of the device is that a palr of ratchet wheels is arranged whereby the measurer traveling the faster is the only 116 thatcanoperatethe counting mechanism.

,A further object of the invention is to provide an automatically actuated check valve which will, on account of the angle of thrust of its connecting links .onits balancing weight, remain closed until the pressure has risen to an. amount sufficient to open the ame, after which it will remain open until said pressure has been reduced considerably below .the amount required to open it. Thus the valve is ,efl'ectually prevented from continually opening and closing, as is the case with the ordinary check valve, to change the course of the water from Passing straight through .the large measurer-and thenthrough the small.

ith these and other objectsin View, the

invention consists .of certaln novel features of construction, as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the.

appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure lis a side elevation partially in section showing the combined use of both the large and small measuring device,-each to act inde pendently upon a single counting or registering device,,all being connected to the main supply pi e. Fig. 2-. is a sectional View showlng t 1e weighted .check valve in the open positiorn -F 3is a view partially in section showing-two ratchet wheelsone of which :is-in section :connected to the winding device arranged to be operated independently by either of the two measuring devices. Fig. 4is a face view of the ratchet Wheel and pawl. Fig. 5-is a face view of the counting device.

The essential rlfeature of my device is the combination of two meters or measuring devices-,one large undone small, both arranged to operate independently upon a single counting-device. Meters, or measuring de- VICE/$.91: any suitable construction may be employed for this purpose, but for convenience I have shown a large measuring device of the screw propeller type, and a small measuring ,device of the balance disk type. T helarger one, asshown in Fig. 1, is constructed of-a casing 1 onto which a hood '2 at Qneend is secured. Mounted in this casing is the screw propeller 3 .journaled in the bearings 4 and 5 ateither end. The propeller maybe of. any desired construction gear 6 which meshes with a similar gear at 7, the latter being mounted on the upri ht shaft 8 which extends up through suitable gearing (not shown) located in the casing 9, through which to operate the counting device 10 at the proper speed through the miter gears 11 and 12 to indicate or show the amount of flow through the measuring propeller.

The propeller casing 1 may be connected at 13 to the casing 14 on the check valve. The controlling valve-comprises a plate'15 guided by cross wings 16 in the inlet 0 ning 17 whereby this inlet may be close or opened by moving the valve to or from its seat 18.

At 19 is the valve balancing weight pivoted at 20 in the casing. A connecting link 21 is pivoted at 22 in this weight its opposite end being pivoted at 23 to the valve plate 15 forming a toggle joint in such a manner that the weight holds the valve in itslclosed' position, the angle of thrust being so arranged as to require a considerable pressure against the valve. to raise the weight and open the same, but .as soon as the pressure has increased a predeterminedamount the said weight 19 1s raised into the position illus- 'trated in Fig. 2 against the stop pin" 20",

allowin the valve to open a suflicient amount to admit the full volume of water'to' ass therethrough. In this position it wil be noted that the angle of thrust is considerably changed whereby the weight will be retained in its open position by a much less pressure than wasrequired to raise it into, that posi-- tion, thus effectually preventln "theva'lve" from opening and closing b a s ightvariation inpressure, which is ound'to. be the case in the ordinary check valve."

The smaller measuring device 24,partially in section, shows another'style or dlsk operated measuring device which is designed to measure small quantities of water more accurately. This may be. placedin any desired position and connected to the check valveby passa esor in any other convenient way, where ywhen the check valve is closed; the, water will pass through this small'orauxiL iary measuring device, but for convenience I have shown this small device mounted on the checkvalve casing lewith passa eways 25. and 26 formed in the walls of the va ve casing for conducting thewater through the measurer from one side to the other of the. valve, in the passage of which the disk 27 is actuated to move a train of gears, or other mechanism, not shown, in the-casing 24:, to operate the counting device 10 through the miter gears 28' and 29 and the shaft 30 to accurately register, or otherwise "show, the rate of fldw through said pipe. 5

. When the water through-the small measurer it of course'i-f so" through the larger one, which latter r may not rotate, and in order'thatthe count-' ing device shall be operated only by the one. 1

which registers. the most .I have connected both to said device in such a manner that the ing. To accomplish this two ratchet wheels 31 and 32 are each mounted onand fixed to shaft 33 in the counterii casing "10,-,as illustrated in Fig. 3, which?shaftifl'isconnected through the gears 34 and 35'tosuitable meehr anism not shown to operatetheseveral-point; p Y

ers to indicate or show the rate of flow. A pawl disk 36 is mounted on the shaft 37- to communicate with the large meter. On this vdisk is mounted the pawl 38 pressed by the one turning the faster shall do the registerspring 39 against the ratchet wheel 32. A-

similar disk 40 carrying a pawl is mounted on the shaft 30 which leads from the small meter, said pawl being adapted to engage and'o erate the ratchet wheel 31, in the manner ilustrated in Fig. 4. Bythis arrangement it; will be seen to be impossible for the a counter to be-driven, by but one meter at a time unless both shaft 30 and 37 hap ened to rotate at the same velocity, there ore the record of but one meter can bemade and that of the one that turns the faster.

' simple and efiective device of thischaracter adapted to accurately register a great range o flowis extremely use 1 for a great variety of purposes, among others being the use in a-water supplying system for fire pro- -tection where ordinarily but a, small quantity is'beingrdrawn throughthe pipe and accurately registered,'but' in case of fire v the main valve will be automatically opened and a large quantity maybe drawn through the same pipe, which will also'be properly registered. v

I do'not confine myself to the use of two measuring devices as any number of,

these devices may be used all being connected to a common registering device without departingfrom the spirit and I scope of my invention, neither do I confine myself to the operation ofa counter or register operated by these said measuring devices, as any kind of a registering indicating or recording deliquids or zg ases' which passes throughthe mam.r1 v I v I Having-thus described my invention, what either of'sa'id measuring devices whereby i said registering device iscontrolled by that one of said measuring'qdevices having the greater speed. Y

meter comprising a '11s vice may beiised for showing the amountaof device, a plurality of measuring devices of different capacities, and means connecting said measuring and registering devices, whereby but one measuring device, which is that having the greatest speed, will be caused to operate the registering device to measure the rate of How.

3. A meter comprising a plurality of fluid measuring devices of different capacities, a single registering device, means for operatively connecting all of said measuring devices to said registering device, whereby but one of said devices, which is that having the greater speed, will be caused to operate the registering device to measure the rate of flow and means for automatically controlling the flow through the smaller measuring device.

4. A meter comprising a single registering device, a plurality of measuring devices adapted to run at difierent relative speeds under ditterent conditions, means connecting said measuring and registering devices whereby said registering device can be operated by but. one of said measuring devices at a time, which is that having the greatest speed, said meter being provided with passageways communicating with the different measuring devices, and means for automatically controlling the flow through said passageways whereby either one or the other of said measuring devices is caused to actuate said registering device.

A meter comprising a single fluid registering device, a large measuring device, a smaller measuring device, means connecting the measuring and registering devices whereby said registering device can be operated by but one of said measuring devices at a time, which is that having the greater speed, said meter being provided with passageways comn'iunicating with the different measuring devices, and a valve for autou'iatically controlling the How through said passageways whereby all of the liquid up to a predetermined quantity is caused to pass through both the larger and the smaller measuring device, running the smaller at a greater speed and when in excess of said quantity the flow \Vlll change and cause the larger measuring device to run at the greater speed and operate the registering device.

6. A meter comprising a single device for registering the amount of fluid which passes therethrough, a large measuring device and a smaller measuring device, means for operatively connecting said measuring and registering devices, whereby said registering device can be operated only by the measuring device that runs the faster.

7. A meter comprising a single registering device a large measuring device and a smaller measuring device each adapted under different conditions to run at different relative speeds, means connecting said measuring and registering devices, whereby said registering device can only be operated by the measuring device that runs the faster, said meter being provided with passageways communicating with the difi'erent measuring devices, and a valve for automatically controlling the flow through said passageways.

8. A meter for measuring fluids comprising measuring devices of different capacities, a single device for registering the amount which passes through the meters, means for connecting all of said measuring devices to said registering device, whereby but. one can effectively operate said registering device at a time, means for causing the flow up to a predetermined amount to pass through and operate the smaller measuring device at the greater speed and when in excess of said amount said flow will change and cause the larger measuring device to run at the greater speed and operate the registering device.

9. A meter for measuring fluids comprising measuring devices of different capacities, a single registering device for showing the amount which passes through the meter, means for connecting all of said measuring devices to operate said registering device whereby but one can effectively. operate said registering device at a time, means for causing the flow up to a predetermined amount to pass through both measuring devices and rotate the smaller one the faster, and when in excess of said amount to automatically change the flow and cause the larger-measuring device to run the faster and operate the registering device, whereby said registering device is effectively actuated only by the measuring device that runs at a velocity sufficicnt to register the greater amount.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FREDERICK N. CONNET.

\Vitnesses l'lowam) E. BAnnow, W M. R. TILLINGIIAST. 

